"Subhuman" is a 1995 song written, recorded and produced by alternative rock band Garbage, and was originally released as an international b-side on "Vow", Garbage's debut single. That song had earlier been pressed as a limited edition7" vinyl in the United Kingdom for the purposes of launching the band; when it came to re-releasing "Vow", Mushroom Records felt that "Subhuman" was strong enough to be issued as an A-side to follow up "Vow".[2] A last-minute decision was made to switch the songs.[3] "Vow" was relegated to bonus track on the CD single.[4]
Alternative rock is a style of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. In this instance, the word "alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream rock music. The term's original meaning was broader, referring to a generation of musicians unified by their collective debt to either the musical style or simply the independent, DIY ethos of punk rock, which in the late 1970s laid the groundwork for alternative music. At times, "alternative" has been used as a catch-all description for music from underground rock artists that receives mainstream recognition, or for any music, whether rock or not, that is seen to be descended from punk rock.
Garbage is an American rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1993. The band consists of Scottish musician and lead singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig. All four members are involved in songwriting and production. Garbage have sold over 17 million albums worldwide.
In the music industry, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separately from an album, although it usually also appears on an album. Typically, these are the songs from albums that are released separately for promotional uses such as digital download or commercial radio airplay and are expected to be the most popular. In other cases a recording released as a single may not appear on an album.
"Subhuman" was released as the band's second single exclusively in the United Kingdom, and it gave Garbage their first chart appearance, peaking at #50 on the UK Singles Chart.[5] The single was promoted by a press junket organised by the record label on a boat sailing down London's River Thames,[6] and attracted media attention for the distinctive rubber packaging of the vinyl format.[7]
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-selling singles in the United Kingdom, based upon physical sales, paid-for downloads and streaming. The Official Chart, broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and MTV, is the UK music industry's recognised official measure of singles and albums popularity because it is the most comprehensive research panel of its kind, today surveying over 15,000 retailers and digital services daily, capturing 99.9% of all singles consumed in Britain across the week, and over 98% of albums. To be eligible for the chart, a single is currently defined by the Official Charts Company (OCC) as either a 'single bundle' having no more than four tracks and not lasting longer than 25 minutes or one digital audio track not longer than 15 minutes with a minimum sale price of 40 pence. The rules have changed many times as technology has developed, the most notable being the inclusion of digital downloads in 2005 and streaming in July 2014.
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos; also conducting talent scouting and development of new artists ; and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the center of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information.
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. Londinium was founded by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core − an area of just 1.12 square miles (2.9 km2) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that follow closely its medieval limits. The City of Westminster is also an Inner London borough holding city status. Greater London is governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
"Subhuman" was also used by the label as an opportunity to massively raise general awareness of Garbage and as an advertising campaign to brand the "G" logo by promoting the single release with plain white flyers, stickers, carrier bags, t-shirts and subwayposters emblazoned with the band's "G" logo.[8] "Subhuman" was never intended to be an album cut, and was not included on the standard editions of the band's debut album, Garbage which was released later that year.[4] The single was excluded from the 2007 greatest hits album Absolute Garbage.
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ideas, beliefs, and concepts into one large media base. Advertising campaigns utilize diverse media channels over a particular time frame and target identified audiences.
A brand is an overall experience of a customer that distinguishes an organization or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising. Name brands are sometimes distinguished from generic or store brands.
A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordmark.
Song background
"Subhuman" was written and recorded over the course of 1994 during sessions between band members Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker and Butch Vig in either Marker's basement recording studio or at their own Smart Studios in Wisconsin university town Madison.[9] The band has kept the story behind the song ambiguous, although Erikson has said that the lyric"burn down all your idols", the first line of the song "pretty much sums it up".[10] The opening noise emerged from Vig accidentally wiring the mixing console to the air conditioner.[11]
Douglas Elwin "Duke" Erikson is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a co-founder and guitarist in the alternative rock band Garbage. Garbage has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide. Before Garbage, Erikson was a founding member of the popular Midwestern bands Spooner and Fire Town.
Shirley Ann Manson is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician. She is the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career, Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh and the United States to record with Garbage; she now lives and works in Los Angeles. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and distinctive voice.
Steve Marker is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a cofounder and guitarist in the alternative rock band Garbage.
Midway through the recording sessions for the band's debut album, the band's manager, Shannon O'Shea, secured the group an inclusion on Volume, a compilation album and magazine title.[12] However, the deadline given for accepting a track was only three days. The only song the band had completed in any shape or form was "Vow".[13] After Volume was released in December 1994, "Vow" began to receive radio airplay from Radio 1DJsSteve Lamacq, John Peel and Johnnie Walker, and record stores in the United Kingdom began to receive requests for a single that didn't yet exist.[14] Garbage were still putting the finishing touches to their debut set, as well as extra tracks such as "Subhuman", which was still three months away from release.[14] In the United Kingdom, the terms of the licensingdeal regarding the inclusion of "Vow" on Volume meant that the track could only be released on a limited basis.[15] "Vow" was issued in a 1,000 copy limited edition7" vinyl format packaged in an aluminiumsleeve, which was designed by O'Shea along with the aluminium sleeve for "Vow". The single sold out in one day.[7] Mushroom later licensed the single out to BMG who fully issued "Vow" in Europe, and to White Records, who released "Vow" in Australia and New Zealand in a limited edition format packaged in an embossed rubber wallet.[7] "Subhuman" was released as the "Vow" b-side on both labels.[7]
A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set. If from several performers, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album. When the tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology.
A magazine is a publication, usually a periodical publication, which is printed or electronically published. Magazines are generally published on a regular schedule and contain a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by prepaid subscriptions, or a combination of the three.
Stephen Paul Lamacq, sometimes known by his nickname Lammo, is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
"Subhuman" release
Mushroom's plan for releasing "Vow" in the limited metal sleeve had been to create an early buzz about the band and "Vow" by word-of-mouth, rather than by retail impact. For the follow-up, the label were concerned with maintaining the interest of the record buyers, as well as attracting interest from record chains.[2] Mushroom manufactured advance discs to promote a re-release of "Vow" in the United Kingdom, but later decided to alter the single, so that the international b-side, "Subhuman", would be the title track.[2] The label felt that "Subhuman" was a "strong single.. to release in its own right".[2] "Subhuman" was to be a limited release as well, but manufactured in greater quantities to enable a greater retail impact than the first.[2] Mushroom re-serviced the single to the media as a cassette featuring "Subhuman", "#1 Crush" (an album out-take) and "Vow".[16]
Marketing buzz or simply buzz—a term used in viral marketing—is the interaction of consumers and users of a product or service which amplifies or alters the original marketing message. This emotion, energy, excitement, or anticipation about a product or service can be positive or negative. Buzz can be generated by intentional marketing activities by the brand owner or it can be the result of an independent event that enters public awareness through social or traditional media such as newspapers. Marketing buzz originally referred to oral communication but in the age of Web 2.0, social media such as Facebook and Twitter are now the dominant communication channels for marketing buzz.
Retail is the process of selling consumer goods or services to customers through multiple channels of distribution to earn a profit. Retailers satisfy demand identified through a supply chain. The term "retailer" is typically applied where a service provider fills the small orders of a large number of individuals, who are end-users, rather than large orders of a small number of wholesale, corporate or government clientele. Shopping generally refers to the act of buying products. Sometimes this is done to obtain final goods, including necessities such as food and clothing; sometimes it takes place as a recreational activity. Recreational shopping often involves window shopping and browsing: it does not always result in a purchase.
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as music radio and television stations, and to tastemakers, such as DJs and music journalists, in advance of the release of commercial editions, in the hope that airplay, reviews, and other forms of exposure will result and stimulate the public's interest in the commercial release.
Garbage requested that their initial singles were to be packaged with a "high-tech, design-led approach", which led to the manufacture of the aluminium sleeve for "Vow". To follow it up, Mushroom's product manager originally wanted to create the sleeve for "Subhuman" from neoprene. Instead, he sourced a black plasticisedrubber from a company in Germany to create the sleeve. Although it wasn't requested, the company manufactured the rubber wallets with lining and a flap to enclose the discs within. "Subhuman" was a bigger investment than the first single; the metal sleeve for "Vow" had cost 90p per unit to manufacture, "Subhuman" cost £2.00 per unit. Knowing that the dealer price was fixed at £1.36, Mushroom lost 64p on each. The company manufactured 3,000 copies of the sleeve in 7" size, and a further 2,000 copies in CD-size (these were used as promos, and exported to Australia for their limited edition "Vow" CD single).[17]
"Subhuman" was used to brand the "G" logo within the UK music market.
Marketing trends over the 1990s had shown an increasing dominance of using branding to sell product, so Mushroom's marketing campaign for the launch of the band focused on branding the "G" logo onto the minds of music buyers. The logo would adorn the album cover and each upcoming single, as well as all upcoming promotional matter and point of sale displays.[7] Upfront of the release date, Mushroom ran two teaser campaigns in the British music press. 10,000 A2 posters of simply the G logo were affixed to prime sites around the United Kingdom; another 10,000 were set up two weeks later which also included the band's name, the name of the single and the release information.[8] Similar branded carrier bags and posters were distributed to independent retailers, flyers and stickers distributed to nightclubs, as well as branded t-shirts to key people.[8] No music video was filmed for "Subhuman", instead, Mushroom serviced the video for "Vow" to music channels.[8]
To support the release of "Subhuman" and launch the album, Mushroom organised the band's first fanzinepress conference on July 25, on board a cruise sailing up and down the River Thames. The event hostted an exclusive album playback and a question and answer session to introduce the band, and gained music paper publicity for the release of the album.[6] The boat set-off from Embankment Pier early, without the band on board, and had to return to pick them up (it was later pointed out and reported that the conference had taken place on the sister-ship to the Marchioness, which had sank with loss of life a few years earlier).[18]
On August 7, 1995 "Subhuman" was issued on the rubber-sleeved 7" vinyl,[19] and stickered CD single,[20] both limited to 3,000 copies each.[7] Some copies of the vinyl also came with a G-logo carrier bag.[7] Both formats sold out in the first week.[21] "Subhuman" debuted at #50 on the UK Singles Chart.[22] In case of demand, Mushroom also manufactured an extra 2,000 copies of the 7" in a simple black card sleeve.[17] These made it into shops the following week, at the end of which "Subhuman" fell to #77.[5]
Commercial track listings
UK CD single Mushroom D1138
"Subhuman" – 4:36
"#1 Crush" – 4:52
"Vow" – 4:30
UK 7" vinyl Mushroom S1138 / SX1138
"Subhuman" – 4:36
"#1 Crush" – 4:52
Digital download
"Subhuman (Supersize mix)" – 5:13
Post-release
Both "Subhuman" and "#1 Crush" were never intended to be included on the band's debut album, which was released in the United Kingdom in October 1995. Both tracks were however included as bonus tracks on the Japanese edition of Garbage.[23] In November, "Subhuman" was included on Rare Track Collection, a five track sampler given away free by Virgin Megastores in France with purchases of the album.[24] Towards the end of the following year, "Subhuman" b-side "#1 Crush" was remixed by Nellee Hooper for inclusion on the soundtrack album to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. As the album opener, "#1 Crush" received massive airplay at alternative radio.[25] At the start of 1997, "#1 Crush" hit #1 on the Modern Rock chart[26] and stayed there for four weeks.[27] Later the same year, limited two-disc edition of Garbage featuring "Subhuman" and three other b-sides was issued in Korea[28] and Singapore.[29] In 1998, "Subhuman" was included on Independent Access, a CD sampler given away by Newbury Comics stores in the United States with purchases of Garbage's second album Version 2.0.[30]
In 2015, Garbage announced the 20th Anniversary Edition of their debut album with a free download of an extended version of "Subhuman" with all pre-orders. "Subhuman" was included on the deluxe edition of the reissue. "I just don’t feel that everyone felt ["Subhuman"] was strong enough to put on the record", Shirley Manson stated in 2015. "In retrospect it’s a bit silly, because it’s fantastic. You make strange choices and you have to live by them".
Critical reception
"Subhuman" received a mostly positive response from music critics. Before the release of the single, Volume described the song as having a "dark sensibility and bouts of Trent Reznor-esque depression".[12] Both Kerrang! and Melody Maker rated "Subhuman" as their "Single of the Week"; the former publication wrote, ""Subhuman" crunches along on a thrilling, all consuming electro-rhythm-from-hell. Totally distinctive and utterly brilliant"[31] while the latter lengthily enthused, "There are reminders of Curve, in the scowling, abrasive guitars, trussed down with a rubbery, mordantly funky rhythm programme. This is severely internal music, right inside your head, pulsing like a migraine, with Manson crowing like a dominatrix as she presides over some impending psychological breakdown".[32]Hot Press described "Subhuman" as "hypnotic drum loops combined with a guitar overload... an industrial noise-feat", adding that it was "a great single".[33]Vox were equally positive, writing "trashing a bloated, ego-fuelled but nameless icon, "Subhuman" is one of [Garbage's] darkest songs to date."[34]NME were severely critical of "Subhuman", stating that the single was a disappointing follow up to "Vow": "Garbage go and ruin it all by being hopelessly techno-gothic. The end result is a song plagued by its own earnestness... it more or less self-destructs."[35]
Garbage is the debut studio album by American rock band Garbage. It was released on August 15, 1995, by Almo Sounds. The album was met with critical acclaim upon its release, being viewed by some as an innovative recording for its time. It reached number 20 on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the UK Albums Chart, while charting inside the top 20 and receiving multi-platinum certifications in several territories. The album's success was helped by the band promoting it on a year-long tour, including playing on the European festival circuit and supporting the Smashing Pumpkins throughout 1996, as well as by a run of increasingly successful singles culminating with "Stupid Girl", which received Grammy Award nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.
"Stupid Girl" is a song recorded by alternative rock band Garbage for the band's self-titled debut studio album. The song was composed and produced by bandmembers Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig. "Stupid Girl" features lyrics about a young female's ambivalence, and a musical arrangement centered on both a repetitive bassline and a drum sample from The Clash's 1980 hit "Train in Vain".
"Shut Your Mouth" is a 2001 alternative rock song by Garbage, written and recorded for their third studio album Beautiful Garbage. "Shut Your Mouth" was the album opener; it was also released as its fourth and final single.
"Vow" is a song by alternative rock band Garbage. It was released as their debut single in early 1995 by Discordant, a label set up by Mushroom Records to launch the group, and Almo Sounds in North America.
"Only Happy When It Rains" is a song written and produced by alternative rock band Garbage for their self-titled debut studio album (1995). The song was recorded at the band's own recording studio, Smart Studios, in Madison, Wisconsin, being mixed twice before its release. The song's bleak lyrics were a parody of the typically angst-filled themes of mid-1990s alternative rock, and a sarcastic reference to Garbage's own preference for dark themes.
"When I Grow Up" is a 1998 song written, recorded and produced by alternative rock band Garbage. The song was released as the fourth international single to be taken from the band's multi-platinum second album Version 2.0 over the course of the following year.
"You Look So Fine" is a single released in 1999, and was the final single taken from Garbage's second album Version 2.0, where it was also the closing track. "You Look So Fine" closed either the main set or encore at every headlining show Garbage performed on the two-year-long Version 2.0 world tour.
"Push It" is a song by alternative rock band Garbage from their second studio album, Version 2.0 (1998). It was released on April 20, 1998 as the album's lead single. Lead singer Shirley Manson elaborated on the song's dreamy verse structure versus the confrontational chorus: "[It's about] the schizophrenia that exists when you try to reconcile your desires and demons with the need to fit in. It's a song of reassurance". The track contains a musical quotation of the Beach Boys' 1964 song "Don't Worry Baby".
"Why Do You Love Me" is a song by alternative rock band Garbage, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Bleed Like Me (2005). The single was the first taste of the band's change in direction, eschewing the electronic-leaning production of their previous album for guitar-led rock.
"Cherry Lips", also known as "Cherry Lips " is a 2001 song written, recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage for their third studio album, Beautiful Garbage. It was released the following year by Mushroom Records as the album's second international single, with the exception of North America, where Interscope issued "Breaking Up the Girl" in its place. A percentage of the royalties generated from the sales of "Cherry Lips" was donated to the International Red Cross.
"Sex Is Not the Enemy" was a single released from Garbage's fourth album Bleed Like Me in June 2005 in United Kingdom. It was released as joint-second single from the album—around the same time the song "Bleed Like Me" was released in the U.S. and there was a parallel release for "Run Baby Run" in Australia and Europe. "Sex Is Not the Enemy" followed later that summer in Australia.
"Breaking Up the Girl" is a 2001 alternative rock song written, recorded and produced by Garbage for their third studio album Beautiful Garbage.
"#1 Crush" is a song by American rock band Garbage, released internationally as a B-side to their debut single "Vow" (1995), and in the United Kingdom on the B-side to second single "Subhuman" (1995).
"Queer" is a song written and produced by alternative rock band Garbage for the band's self-titled debut album. The song started as a demo during sessions between band members Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, and Steve Marker, and had its composition finished after singer Shirley Manson joined the band. Manson rewrote the sexualized lyrics to be more ambiguous, and rearranged the song into a subdued trip hop and rock crossover structure.
"Milk" is a song by alternative rock band Garbage from their self-titled debut studio album (1995). It was released on October 7, 1996 as the album's fifth and final single. In North America, the single coincided with Garbage's trek around the continent performing as a support act for the Smashing Pumpkins arena tour.
"Because the Night" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith that was first released in 1978 as a single off the Patti Smith Group album Easter. This version rose to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as number 5 in the United Kingdom, and helped propel sales of Easter to mainstream success — even as Smith was deciding to retire from a life of constant touring.
"Supervixen" is a song by alternative rock band Garbage from their self-titled debut studio album (1995). The song was titled after Russ Meyer's 1975 sexploitation film Supervixens.
"Battle in Me" is a song from alternative rock band Garbage's fifth studio album Not Your Kind of People, and was released as the lead single to promote the album in United Kingdom. "Battle in Me" preceded the band's underplayed headliner concert in London and served as the band's Record Store Day 2012 release in the United Kingdom and Europe.
"The Chemicals" is a stand-alone single released by alternative rock band Garbage for Record Store Day 2015. The song is the first track recorded by the band during sessions for their sixth album to be released. "The Chemicals" features Brian Aubert on co-vocals. Drummer Butch Vig described "The Chemicals" as "a very dense Garbage track".
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